Johnny Bear, Hawkbill Meet Again in Northern Dancer
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Photo: Michael Burns
Johnny Bear works on the turf at Woodbine
Twelve months ago, the late-blooming gelding Johnny Bear found himself at the center of some high-level drama for all the right reasons.
In his first start against top-level company in last year's Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine, the Ontario-bred son of English Channel scored the upset of the day when he got his head down against Godolphin's multiple grade/group 1 winner Hawkbill to score a massive triumph for the home team.
Stirring as the result was, it was topped by the scene that followed the gelding to the winner's circle. His trainer, Ashlee Brnjas, was overcome with tears at earning her first grade 1 victory, and her father, co-owner John Brnjas of Colebrook Farms, had to hold himself up as the emotion of the moment took over.
WINCZE HUGHES: Johnny Bear Earns Emotional Northern Dancer Win
Though Johnny Bear is no longer an unproven commodity, a similar outpouring figures to break out once more if he can pull off a repeat of his best outing over the Woodbine turf this weekend. Once again, the 7-year-old will have Hawkbill and eight others to deal with as he attempts to defend his title Sept. 15 in the $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes going 1 1/2 miles.
Heading into the 2017 race, Johnny Bear had only tried graded company once when he finished fifth in the 2015 Singspiel Stakes (G3T). His upset in the Northern Dancer propelled the gelding to a Sovereign Award as Canada's champion male turf horse last year, but he has been winless in six starts since.
After getting the winter off, Johnny Bear has been rounding into form following a pair of fifth-place runs in his first two outings of 2018. He finished a close third behind fellow Northern Dancer participants Tiz a Slam and Mekhtaal in the July 22 Nijinsky Stakes (G2T) and then a troubled second in the restricted OLG Halton Stakes Presented by Tipperary Equestrian Aug. 29.
"It's unfortunate what happened to him in that last race," said John Brnjas, who watched Johnny Bear steady in the stretch run. A claim of foul by regular rider Luis Contreras was denied. "But he's in good shape. I think he's coming up to this race as good as he was last year."
Owned by Colebrook and Danny Dion's Bear Stables, Johnny Bear has won seven of 39 starts, with earnings of $523,636.
Hawkbill hasn't been in his top form of late, but the son of Kitten's Joy figures to be a strong favorite in his latest North American venture. The 5-year-old horse—a half brother to grade 1 winner Free Drop Billy—was freshened after his Northern Dancer loss last September and began his 2018 campaign with consecutive wins at Meydan, including the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) March 31.
The Charlie Appleby trainee was most recently fourth in the Coral Eclipse (G1) July 7, and he would benefit from a bit of cut in the ground.
"He's traveling really well," said exercise rider Daragh O'Donohoe. "He's very strong right now."
The Northern Dancer will feature multiple rematches for Tiz a Slam, who beat Mekhtaal and Johnny Bear here in the Nijinsky and lost to Utmost in the Sky Classic Stakes (G2T) four weeks later. Mekhtaal and Utmost are trained by Graham Motion.
"I thought he ran pretty courageously the first time I ran him at Delaware (third in the Cape Henlopen Stakes July 7)," Motion said of Utmost. "He was free on the lead, which really wasn't what I wanted him to do. He did win (the Sky Classic) impressively. I was pleased with the way he did it. It's given me confidence to run him back this weekend."
Woodbine, Saturday, September 15, 2018, Race 11Entries: Northern Dancer Turf S. (G1T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Mekhtaal (GB)
Jose L. Ortiz
123
H. Graham Motion
7/2
2
2Markitoff (KY)
Javier Castellano
119
Michael J. Maker
30/1
3
3Utmost (KY)
Alan Garcia
123
H. Graham Motion
4/1
4
4Johnny Bear (ON)
Luis Contreras
123
Ashlee Brnjas
8/1
5
5Hawkbill (KY)
Jamie P. Spencer
126
Charles Appleby
2/1
6
6Tiz a Slam (ON)
Steven Ronald Bahen
123
Roger L. Attfield
6/1
7
7Vexatious (KY)
Rafael Bejarano
116
Neil D. Drysdale
30/1
8
8Seeking Albert (ON)
David Moran
119
Michael P. De Paulo
20/1
9
9English Illusion (ON)
Rafael Manuel Hernandez
119
Sylvain Pion
15/1
10
10Patterson Cross (KY)
Joel Rosario
119
William I. Mott
10/1
